A portable cocktail kit makes it easy to enjoy restaurant-quality drinks anywhere—from the beach and boat to tailgates and picnics. With a cooler, a few shelf-stable mixers, plenty of ice, and your favorite garnishes, you can make cocktails in minutes without packing an entire bar.
What summer cocktails can I make from a cooler?
The best cooler-friendly cocktails require few ingredients, can be made in batches, and don’t lose flavor when served over ice.
Bloody Marys and margaritas are both great choices when you’re looking for portable cocktails and working with limited space. Using a ready-to-pour mix for both makes it even easier to simply add liquor and ice without worrying about measuring, spills, and missing ingredients.
Demitri’s Ready-to-Pour Bloody Mary Mix maximizes the flavor in one bottle. A single bottle replaces tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, citrus, and spices, freeing up valuable cooler space while making setup much faster. You just need to add ice and liquor, and you’ve got brunch down in seconds. If you’re flying or your trunk is already filled to the brim, the TSA-approved single-serve pouches bring big flavor in a small container—you’ll just need tomato juice and vodka to whip up a fast Bloody Mary.
Demitri’s Margarita Mixes bring you the premium marg taste in Organic Traditional and 38-Calorie options that are bright, refreshing, and made to sip by a body of water for peak enjoyment.
Tip: Decant any glass bottles into a leak-proof plastic pitcher, or even repurpose an insulated water bottle to keep cocktail mixes extra chilled.
How do I pack cocktail ingredients for the boat or beach?
When possible, opt for shelf-stable options that don’t require refrigeration before opening. That way, you don’t have to worry about mixes going bad and spoiling the fun. Load up on bags of ice for the drinks themselves, and fill the space with frozen water bottles. Win-win: Your ingredients stay chilled, and you can stay hydrated as the bottles melt.
What cocktail garnishes should I bring on the go?
Slice up your garnishes and pack them in individual baggies for easy clean-up.
Use this guide for your shopping list:
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Lemons
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Limes
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Celery
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Carrots
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Jalapeños
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Fresh mint
What you don’t use as garnish you can easily repurpose to liven up plain water or munch on as crudités.
Can I make batched cocktails for boat days?
Prepping batches of Bloody Marys and margaritas means you can kick your feet up once you’re at sea. Demitri’s products are very scalable for any sized group. You can even leave the alcohol out of the pitcher and let people add that themselves so everyone gets an individualized beverage.
Big-batch Bloody Mary recipe for boat days (serves 8):
Ingredients:
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Lime wedges
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Demitri’s Original or Bacon Rimshot Rim Salt
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32 ounces tomato juice
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3-5 tablespoons Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning
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16 ounces quality vodka
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Ice
Directions:
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Moisten the rim of all your cups with lime wedges, then press each cup into a saucer of Demitri’s Rimshot.
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Combine Demitri’s Bloody Mary Seasoning with tomato juice, vodka, and ice in a large pitcher. Use a spoon to gently combine all the ingredients.
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Pour a serving into each cup.
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Garnish, squeeze lime on top, and enjoy!
Classic margarita pitcher recipe (serves 8):
Ingredients:
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2 cups tequila
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3 cups Demitri’s Margarita Mix: Traditional Organic or 38 Calorie
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2 to 4 ounces Cointreau
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Ice
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Lime wedge
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Demitri’s Margarita Rimshot Rim Salt
Directions:
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Rim each cup with lime and dip in salt
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Shake tequila, margarita mix, and Cointreau with ice
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Strain over fresh ice and garnish with lime
What items should be in my portable cocktail kit?
Make sure you’re stocked up on non-glass drinkware. We all have a cabinet drawer overflowing with reusable plastic cups and insulated tumblers. Put them to use!
Use this checklist to make sure your cooler is all stocked up:
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Ice
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Demitri’s Ready-to-Pour Bloody Mary Mix
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Demitri’s Margarita Mix
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Demitri’s Rimshot Rim Salt
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Vodka and tequila, decanted into plastic bottles if needed
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Shaker
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Citrus and other garnish
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Plastic cups
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Bottle opener
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Measuring cups
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Knife and cutting board
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Reusable straws
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Napkins
A well-packed cocktail cooler means you can spend less time measuring ingredients and more time enjoying the day. Shelf-stable mixes, fresh garnishes, and a little planning and imagination make it easy to serve crowd-pleasing cocktails almost anywhere.
